Adjustable tilt top table



July 15, 1958 w. E. NORDMARK 2,843,226

ADJUSTABLE TILT TOP TABLE Filed'April 1.1.4.956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR M QMQ BY WMM ATTORNEY Jul 15, 1958 w. E. NORDMARK 2,843,226

ADJUSTABLE TILT TOP TABLE Filed April 11, 195 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 4-5 .3115 l2 i 2 '1" 43;??? 42 l8 l7 J8:

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WI TNESS INVENTOR I 2AM, I wmfia Won/mark ATTORNEY United States PatentADJUSTABLE TILT TOP TABLE Walter E. Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich.,assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporationof New Jersey Application April 11, 1956, Serial No. 577,557 7 Claims.c1. 188 -67) The present invention relates to an adjustable tilt toptable or the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a table or the likehaving a top which can be adjusted to tilt rearwardly-upwardly at anyselected angle of inclination, so as to facilitate certain tasks, andparticularly art work; to provide a novel, automatic checking devicewhereby such a tilt top may be elevated to the desired adjusted positionand automatically supported in such position, and which device willoperate automatically when the top is raised to its extreme elevatedposit-ion and released to permit the tilt top to descend to levelposition in a cushioned, quiet manner; and in general to provide such atilt top table which is efficient in operation, reasonably economical inmanufacture and attractive in appearance. a

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front and side perspective view of the new table with thetilt top in an adjusted position of inclination;

Figure 2 is a rear and side perspective view of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of parts thereof taken on line 33of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical sectional view ofparts thereof;

.Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of certain parts seen inFigure 4, some of said parts being here shown in different movedpositions; Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged sectional view thereof takenon line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts thereof takenon line 7-7 of Figure 4.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the table there showngenerally comprises a pair of supporting standards 10, 11 on the upperendsiof which is fixedly mounted a sub-top 12 one side portion of whichis covered by a stationary top 13 fixedly secured thereto, and the otherside portion of which is provided with the tilt top 14 the lower frontedge of which is hingedly connected to the upper front edge of thesub-top 12'by means of a piano-type hinge 15. 7 When the tilt top 14 isfully lowered to level position its upper surface is flush with that ofthe stationary top 13.

A bracket 16 of cross-sectionally. U-shape and provided with upperflanges 17 is dependingly secured by means of wood-screws 18 to the rearunderside of the sub-top 13 opposite the middle of the tilt tops hingedlower front edge. A cylinder 19 is provided with a threaded closure 20at itslower rearward end, the cylinder being pivotally connected to thelower end of bracket 16 by means of a pivot pin 21 passing through ancar 22 on the closure and journalled in spaced bearings of a U shapedbearing member 23 secured as by welding to the bracket. The cylinder 19extends forwardly-upwardly from this pivotal connection to the bracket16, and is provided at its upper end with a threaded cap 24 having acentral longitudinal 2,843,226 Patented July 15, 1958 2 bearing 25therein, an aperture 26 therethrough spaced below the bearing 25 andparallel thereto, and a projection 27 extending forwardly-upwardly fromthe cap 24 above the bearing 25.

A clip generally designated 28 has a circular middle portion 29 securedto the outer end of the cap 24 by means of screws 30, said circularmiddle portion of the clip having apertures therethrough registeringwith the bearing 25 and aperture 26 of the cap 24. The clip has an upperarm 31 which extends forwardly-upwardly from the clips middle portion 29and then downwardly to form a gap between it and theprojection 27 on thecap 24. The clip 28 has also a lower arm 32 which extendsforwardly-upwardly and terminates in a formed spring latch 33 oppositethe gap between the upper arm 31 and projection 27.

A stop washer 34 having a circular central opening 35 therethrough isfulcrumed in the gap between the caps projection 27 and the clips upperarm 31. This stop washer 34 is thus movable to a raised inoperativelocation above the spring latch 33 as seen in Figure 5, and is also,movable to a lowered operative location below the spring latch 33 asseen in Figure 4. The spring latch 33 is adapted to confine the stopwasher 34 to one or the other of these locations. I

A piston 36 is slidably disposed in the cylinder 19 and is of theconventional type used in bicycle pumps and door checks. A piston rod 37has its lower rearward end connected to the piston 36 by means of athreaded nut 38 which clamps the piston between washers 39, 40 andagainst a shoulder 41 on the piston rod. The piston rod extendsforwardly-upwardly through the cylinder 19, through the bearing 25 incap 24 and the r aperture in clip 28 registering with said bearing,through the circular central opening 35 in stop Washer 34 which opening35 is slightly larger than the diameter of'the piston rod, and through avoid 42 in the sub-top 12. The upper end of the piston rod 37 ispivotally connected by a pivot pin 43 to spaced depending lugs 44 of ayoke 45 secured by woodscrews 46 to the underside of the tilt top 14. iA pin 47 is slidably disposed in the aperture 26 through the cap 24 andextends through the aperturein the clip 28 which registers with aperture26.. This pin 47 is adapted for contacting the piston 36 when the pistonrod 37 reaches its extreme limit of outward movement. An air passage 48extends through the cylinders lower closure member 20, and an adjustmentscrew 49 isprovided whereby the flow of air into or out of cylinder 19may be regulated.

j 1 Operation With the tilt top 14 in its lowered position resting onthe tables sub-top 12, the various parts are in their positions seen insolid linesin Figure 4. When the tilt top is swung upwardly about itshinge 15, piston rod 37 is drawn outwardly of the cylinder 19 duringwhich movement the stop washer 34 swings upwardly as seen indotted linesin Figure 4 to a position wherein it is' substantially normal to thepiston rod. thus permitting free passage ofthe piston. rod through thestop washer. When the tilt top has been raised to the desired angle ofinclination and is released, its weight causes the stop washer 34 toswing downwardly again, in which position it binds against the pistonrod '37 to prevent the rods passing inwardly through the stop washer andthe tilt top is thus supported at the selected angle of tilt.

When it is desired to lower the tilt top to its level position, it isfirst raised to its extreme limit of tilt. The piston 36 then contactspin 47 to move the pin upwardly as seen in Figure 5, and the pin in turnmoves the stop washer 34 upwardly beyond the spring latch 33, whichconfines the washer, to its inoperative location wherein it is againsubstantially normal to the piston rod 37. Upon release of the tilt topit is permitted to descend to its lowered position, the piston rod 37passing freely through the now inoperative stop washer 34. Descent ofthe tilt top is cushioned by'the retarded flow of air around piston 36.

When the tilt top 14 reaches its extreme lowered position resting on thesub-top 12, the lugs 44 of yoke 45 contact the stop washer 34 to againmove it downwardly past the spring latch 33 which again confines thewasher to its operative location wherein it may swing to permit freeraising movement of the tilt top but prevent lowering movement thereof.Other uses might be found for the checking device of this invention, andwhile but one specific application and embodiment thereof have beenherein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous detailsmay be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic checking device for permitting movement in one directionof a first element relative to a second element while checking movementthereof in the opposite direction, said device comprising: a cylindermounted on sa'idsecond element and extending toward said first element;a piston in the cylinder; a piston rod connected to said piston and tosaid first element; and a stop washer swingably mounted on the cylinderand having an opening therethrough through which extends said pistonrod, said washer having an operative location wherein it may swing to aposition substantially normal to the piston rod to permit free passageof the piston rod therethrough inone direction or swing to anotherposition binding said washer against the piston rod to prevent passageof the latter therethrough in the opposite direction, said stop washerbeing movable also to an inoperative location substantially normal tothe piston rod wherein it permits free passage of the piston rodtherethrough in said opposite direction; and a spring latch on thecylinder for confining said stop washer in either its operative locationor its inoperative location.

2. An automatic checking device according to claim 1 characterized byhaving means on the cylinder for moving the stop washer to itsinoperative location when the first element reaches its extreme limit ofmovement away from the second element and by having means on the firstelement for returning the stop washer to its operative location when thefirst element reaches its extreme limit of movement toward the secondelement.

3. An automatic checking device for permitting movement in one directionof a first element relative to a second element while checking movementthereof in the opposite direction, said device comprising: a cylindermounted on said second element and extending toward said first element;a cap on the cylinders end nearest the first element having a centrallongitudinal bearing therein and a projection spaced from the bearing.and extending toward the first element; a clip secured to the cap andhaving an arm extending beyond said projection to form a gap between thearm and the end of the projection; a stop washer having a centralopening therethrough, said washer being fulcrumed insaid gap forswinging movement; a piston in the cylinder; a piston rod secured to thepiston and extending through the central bearing in said cap and throughthe central opening in said stop washer, said rod having its outer endconnected to said first element; and a spring latch on said cap adaptedto confine the stop .4 washer to an inner operative location whereinsaid stop washer may swing to a position substantially normal to thepiston rod to permit free passage of the piston rod outwardly throughthe stop washer or swing to another position binding it against thepiston rod to prevent passage of the piston rod inwardly through thestop washer.

4. An automatic checking device according to claim 3 characterized byhaving the spring latch also adapted to confine the stop washer to anouter inoperative location substantially normal to the piston rodwherein it permits free passage of the piston rod inwardly through thestop washer.

5. An automatic checking device according to claim 4 characterized byhaving a pin slidably mounted in said cap and adapted to move the stopwasher to its outer inoperative location when said pin is contacted bythe piston in the extreme outwardly extended position of the piston rod,and by having a lug fixedly mounted on the first element adapted to movethe stop washer to its inner operative location when the piston rodreaches its extreme inwardly retracted position.

6. An automatic checking device according to claim 4 characterized byhaving the end of the cylinder adjacent said second element providedwith a closure, an air passage through said closure in the adjacent endof the cylinder, and an adjustment screw extending into said air passagewhereby the flow of air into or out of the cylinder may be regulated.

7. An automatic checking device for permitting swinging movement in onedirection of a first element hinged to a second element while checkingswinging movement thereof in the opposite direction, said devicecomprising: a cylinder pivotally mounted on said second element andextending toward said first element; a cap on the cylinders end nearestthe first element having a central longitudinal bearing therein and aprojection spaced from the bearing and. extending toward the firstelement; a clip secured to the cap and having an arm extending beyondsaid projection to form a gap between the arm and the end of theprojection; a stop washer having a central opening therethrough, saidwasher being fulcrumed in said gap for swinging movement; a piston inthe cylinder; a piston rod secured to the piston and extending throughthe central bearing in said cap and through the central opening in saidstop washer, said rod having its outer end pivotally connected to saidfirst element; and a spring latch on said cap adapted to confine thestop washer to an inner operative location wherein it may swing to aposition substantially'normal to the piston rod to permit free passageof the piston rod outwardly through the stop washer or swing to anotherposition binding it against the piston rod to prevent passage 'of thepiston rod inwardly through the stop washer. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS264,049 Tucker Sept. 5, 1862 836,303 Christensen Nov. 20, 1906 1,544,117Wyatt June 30, 1925 1,655,798- Richards Jan. 10, 1928 2,001,507Stribling May 14, 1935 2,252,215 Stearns Aug. 12, 1941 2,588,174Spielberg Mar. 4, 1952 2,606,801 Shampaine Aug. 12, 1952 2,703,907Newell Mar. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 47,948 Germany July 30, 1889

